Creative Arts students earned regional recognition for powerful works exploring climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice.
Mount St. Joseph University Art & Design students are once again gaining regional recognition for using their creativity to address some of today’s most pressing environmental issues.
Students taught by Dr. Michaelann Kelley recently submitted works to the 2026 Just Earth Visual Art Competition, a regional exhibition organized by Just Earth – Cincinnati. The organization works to educate and inspire action throughout the Cincinnati region around the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental injustice.
The competition invited artists to create works that conveyed warnings about the future, celebrated the natural world, reflected on loss and regret, or offered hope for a healthier planet. Entries were juried by a panel of local artists, and awards were presented June 19, 2026, at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
Mount St. Joseph University has participated in the Just Earth exhibition since its inception and has earned award recognition in every year of the competition. That tradition continued in 2026 with an outstanding achievement.
Senior Tori Orbegozo received the competition’s First Place Award and a $500 cash prize for her powerful piece, Humanity Silenced by Climate Change. The work explores how conversations surrounding climate change are often suppressed or ignored, challenging viewers to confront the urgency of environmental action.
In addition to Orbegozo’s award-winning work, several other Mount students were selected for inclusion in the highly competitive juried exhibition:
- Acid Rain (Inspired by Poem) — Dahlia Baer
- Tuscany Shells — Catherine Cole
- Pollinators of Spirit and Nature — Natali McGuire
- World Octopus Day — Vanessa Bodunde
- Vivid Desert Sunset Signals Ecological Distress — Lex Haffey
- Dawn’s Bird Chorus Is Changing — Jordan Tinsley
- The Shape of a Blue Note — Eric Reeves
The students’ participation highlights the Department of Creative Arts’ commitment to encouraging artists to engage with contemporary social and environmental issues through creative practice. Through painting, drawing, mixed media, and conceptual work, Mount students are using art not only to express ideas, but also to inspire dialogue and action within the broader community.
Congratulations to Tori Orbegozo and all of the Mount artists whose work was selected for this prestigious regional exhibition.
